Monthly CFO Market Intelligence | Highbury Executive Talent Issue No. 4 | August 2026
THIS MONTH IN THE MARKET
The RBA held the cash rate at 4.35% for a second consecutive meeting, largely as expected. Governor Bullock made it clear the board is not ruling out further hikes, with the next meeting in September already shaping as one to watch. Inflation is still running above target and not expected to reach the midpoint of the 2–3% band until mid-2027.
For CFOs managing June year-ends, August has been one of the busiest months on the calendar. Boards want results, auditors want time, and the year-end story seems harder to tell this year than most. Business conditions are still tough, and if the go-forward narrative doesn't include AI, expect raised eyebrows. However, one thing we are noticing is that the AI sceptics are getting louder. Concerns over an AI bubble are mounting, valuations are being questioned, and the gap between boardroom enthusiasm and measurable returns is starting to attract scrutiny. It could be an interesting road ahead.
On a brighter note, the Premier League is back, which has provided a welcome distraction (for some of us) while the year-end numbers get prepared and announced.
WHO’S MOVED
Highbury has tracked over 25 CFO movements in August, with an equal spread across the Private and ASX landscape as we begin to come out of reporting season. As always, here are the highlights.
PRIVATE EQUITY
After a well-earned rest on the sidelines, Ian Sadler has jumped back into the game, joining Workbench as the new CFO.
Angela Kreis has kept her green thumb joining Green by Nature as the new CFO.
Guy Lancaster has put his chef’s hat down to join Merchantwise Group as their new CFO.
Jo Hands has been appointed CFO of Questas, which is about to embark on a new journey under a new sponsor.
PRIVATE
Sean Scanlon has been promoted into his maiden CFO role with property development & construction giant Meriton. An excellent partner for the next generation of leaders coming through the business.
VENTURE CAPITAL
Troy Janissen has also stepped up into his maiden CFO role with NEXA Group, well done.
Richard Leon has found a new seat with Myriota, an Aussie tech company leading the race in the IoT Sensing & Tracking sector.
ASX LISTED
Endeavour Drinks Group has announced Michael Casamento as the new Group CFO as they continue their turnaround strategy. While Kate Beattie has offered to provide an orderly transition, helping with the handover until the end of 2027.
WiseTech Group have announced Jeff Howard as the new Group CFO, who joins after being CEO and CFO with Seven West Media.
Nicole Ebejer has been appointed interim CFO of Bravura Solutions. Bravo!
Stuart Hooper has been announced as the new CFO of Regis Healthcare, taking the reins from Rick Rostolis who will retire at the end of August.
Siteminder has seen a bit of movement with CFO Tim Howard moving into the Chief Partner Officer role, and Kevin O’Sullivan joining as the new CFO looking to bring the business back into unicorn status.
Tom Herring has resigned from Nido Group, following a remarkable run with the childcare group. A CFO search is underway to find his replacement with Tom sticking around till November.
THE HIGHBURY VIEW
We are seeing the AI conversation starting to shift again. The boardroom enthusiasm that defined the last 12 months is meeting a harder reality and we're seeing and hearing it firsthand from CFOs. Roles that were originally replaced by bots a few months ago are being refilled with humans in the loop. Errors and unreliable outputs are swelling the sceptics' camp, and not without cause. The gap between what the technology promises and what it reliably delivers in a finance context is real, and it's not a small gap. We are seeing a huge divide between the early adopters and those still on Excel and traditional CRMs. Which approach wins out will come down to how the risks and benefits actually play out, and that verdict isn't in yet.
WHATS KEEPING CFO’S UP AT NIGHT
For those in PE-backed businesses, the exit conversation is getting louder and harder to move. The businesses that will transact are the ones where the numbers are clean, the story is tight, and the CFO can walk a buyer through diligence without hesitation.
And then there's AI. The board still wants a plan, but the question has matured. It's no longer just about adoption, it's now also about governance. Who is checking the outputs? Who owns the errors? Who is accountable when the technology gets it wrong in a way that matters? These are the questions on the CFO’s mind.
ON THE PITCH
Highbury is currently engaged across several active searches in PE-backed and high-growth private businesses across Australia. If you have a mandate in motion, or one approaching we'd welcome a conversation.
Published monthly by Rick Jacobson, Managing Partner with Highbury Executive Talent. A boutique CFO search firm built for private equity, venture capital and high-growth mid-market businesses across Australia.
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